After no ticket matched the six numbers selected during the game's Saturday drawing, the Powerball prize moved into the top five.

The majority of Americans have the day off today, which is Labor Day.  Tonight, someone might win enough cash to never have to go back to their 9 to 5.

There hasn't been a single play that matches the five white balls and the red Powerball in 39 drawings.  There is a 1 in 292.2 million chance of doing so.

Until a $1.326 billion reward was won in Oregon on April 6, 2024, the Powerball record for the most draws without a jackpot hit was 42.

Tonight's anticipated $1.1 billion jackpot is the fifth-largest payout in the history of the game.  The cash option is valued at $498.4 million by lottery authorities.  Both figures are before potential state and federal taxes.

In addition to 45 states, Powerball is now played in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Washington, D.C.  A typical Powerball ticket is still only $2, unlike Mega Millions, which increased its basic play price from $2 to $5 earlier this year.

Sales on Labor Day 

Sales of Powerball tickets for the drawing on September 1st are probably going to rise.  Sales usually soar when jackpots reach such enormous proportions because the potentially life-altering sums attract players who might not otherwise play.

As relatives and friends get together around the grill and discuss current events, the fact that it's a holiday weekend should only encourage play.  Many people will talk about Powerball.

"America has waited all year for the chance to play for a billion-dollar jackpot, and what better time than Labor Day for a $1.1 billion Powerball drawing,” said Matt Strawn, Powerball Product Group Chair and the CEO of the Iowa Lottery. “With just one $2 ticket, you could win it all — all while helping to support good causes close to home.”

That your $2 wager won't win it all is, of course, much less likely.  It is much more likely that you will be struck by lightning, not just once, but twice.  In addition, you have a higher chance of winning an Olympic medal, winning an Oscar, bowling a perfect 300, becoming president of the United States, and dying in an aircraft accident.

You're telling me that there's a chance, then

Someone must win in spite of the bleak Powerball chances, right?  How can you raise your chances, then?

If you play different numbers on each ticket, Tim Chartier, an applied mathematician at Davidson College who specializes in computer science, believes purchasing multiple tickets does somewhat increase your chances of winning.

"If you buy five tickets with different numbers, you are five times more likely to win than if you buy just one. But, keep in mind, this is like saying you need to flip heads 28 straight times. Try it. In fact, try it five times. Try it 100 times. You are amazingly unlikely to get it any single time. So, the odds are more likely but still very unlikely,” Chartier said in a 2023 article titled, “Magic Numbers: How to Tilt the Odds of Winning the Lottery in Your Favor.”

Chartier offers a free online tool for people to try their luck.